The Demon Chronicles: Children At Play
by BelovedOne
Summary: Idea I got from Eli's "School Daze" story. The Nottingham, Woo, McCartey, and Po-Bowman kids all go to the same school. ***CHAPTER 7 POSTED!!!!!*** Girl or boy? Or maybe both...
1. Meet The Demons

AN: If you like my writing (and I really hope you do!) then please try reading my other stories—I've now published seventeen on this site—including stuff for Witchblade, Star Trek: Voyager, Walker: Texas Ranger, and a couple of crossovers, one of which I'm coauthoring with my best friend, RoughIslandSunrise, under the penname BelovedSunrise (our two personal pennames combined). Thanks!

Also, PLEASE REVIEW! I like to know how I'm doing, so help me out here!

CREDITS: The BIG credit is to Eli, who first came up with this idea. Sorry for stealing! I just couldn't get the idea out of my head, so I wrote it down, and…

The other credit goes to my best friend, RoughIslandSunrise, without whom *this* version would never have taken shape! Thanks to both of you!

THE DEMON CHRONICLES: CHILDREN AT PLAY 

**Chapter 1**

Krista Cordero entered the teacher's lounge, grabbed a mug of coffee, and dropped into a free chair beside Laura Nelson. The first grade teacher grinned at her.

"From the looks of the comments on my roster, I've got a pretty good class this year," she said.

"What can I say, I do my job well," Krista joked. Laura rolled her eyes.

Leaning forward, the brunette asked her, "So, Krista, who do _you_ have this year?"

Tucking a strand of blonde hair behind one ear, she handed her the roster she'd received.

Laura scanned the page quickly, her mouth dropping open. "Oh, my Lord."

"What?" Krista craned her neck to peer at the paper. Laura's brown eyes were fastened on the name "Michelle Nottingham". "Hey, isn't that…"

"The name of the guy who owns the school? Yes."

"Why did you say 'Oh my Lord' when you saw her name?"

"Are you nuts? You're gonna have to work to impress this guy! I've met him before, and I almost had a heart attack! The guy is scary! And his _wife_! The woman is psycho!"

"What do you mean?"

"She's a Homicide Detective. She carries a gun. Just don't piss her off. I saw her with the kid a couple of months ago. She was taking her to the park, and some guy tried to snatch her off the playground."

"And?"

"He didn't succeed. Now, he lives in a mental institution. She scared him so bad, he literally wet his pants. He doesn't say a word, so they don't know what exactly happened, but I know she's not one to mess with. Too bad _he_ didn't know that."

Krista's blue eyes were round as saucers by the time her friend finished her story.

"Are you serious?"

"Hell, yeah. You be careful."

"Yeah." She swallowed hard. "Dare I ask about the girl?"

Laura shrugged. "She seemed pretty sweet to me, but with parents like that, you never know."

********

Krista waited for the last kindergartener to take his seat. Bringing up her class roster on her computer screen, she began to call out names. When she reached the middle, she paused.

"Michelle Nottingham?" In the front row, she saw a cute-looking little girl with chestnut hair and striking green eyes raise her hand. She was wearing a black jumper with a black long-sleeved shirt, black tights, and black Mary Janes. She didn't _look_ like there was anything to be scared of. Keeping one eye on the girl, Krista continued down the list.

"Ella Po-Bowman?"

"Here!" came the cheerful reply from a pig-tailed girl in the seat beside the Nottingham girl. She was dressed in an outfit that matched Michelle's exactly, except that it was completely white. The two exchanged grins, and Krista swallowed. _Two_ of them? Oh, no.

She finished calling role, and sent the document to the electronic attendance program. Ever since Mr. Ian Nottingham had bought the school, they had had the latest in technology. These computers had a program called the EAM—the Electronic Attendance Monitor—where a teacher sent her day's attendance roster to a main computer core that was connected to a phone line. It automatically called up parents of absent students, thereby eliminating any chance of what public schools called "skippers". She liked the program—it offered a quicker, easier way to do role call, giving a teacher much-needed time to do other work. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly. This was going to be a _long_ year.

********

The next morning, Krista had just parked her car, and was getting out of the vehicle when she heard the soft rumbling of an engine. She turned just in time to see a sleek silver bus pull up to the curb. Written across the side were the words "Nottingham Express". It was obviously a private bus, judging by the number of children who got off. The first, she recognized as a sweet ten-year-old girl named Una Woo, whom she'd had five years before. The second was her brother, seven-year-old Joshua, whom she'd had in her class two years before. Then, side by side, Michelle Nottingham and Ella Po-Bowman stepped out onto the sidewalk. Krista swallowed. So far, the two hadn't made any trouble, but Krista was sure that it wasn't far in coming. Today, Michelle was once again wearing an ensemble of black clothing, but Ella wore a lavender t-shirt with jean shorts and a long white coat. If she didn't know better, Krista would have thought that it was a lab coat, like doctors wore. She'd have to keep a close eye on those two.

********

The final bell rang, and Krista gathered the class to walk them to the buses. She loaded everyone onto their assigned buses, then looked down at the two brunette girls conversing in hushed whispers at her side. Sensing her gaze, they quieted, looking up at her innocently.

"Do you know how you're getting home?"

Both nodded. Una and Joshua Woo came up to the trio then.

"Come on, the bus is gonna be here any minute," Una said, her deep brown eyes soft as she looked down at two of her favorite little "cousins". Again, both nodded. Moments later, the small bus pulled up, and the four children climbed on. The doors closed and they left.

********

When the sound of the bus's engine didn't come the next morning, Krista peered out of the window and saw a sleek black car parked beside the curb. Curious, the teacher watched as a tall, lanky man stepped out of the back, opening the door to allow four children to stumble out. Together, the quintet walked inside. Krista quickly moved back to her desk as the black-clad man entered the room, holding the two little girls' hands in his own. His expensive suit matched in color to his daughter's black overalls, t-shirt, socks, and sneakers. He knelt down and spoke to them, and they both hugged him tight before scampering to their desks. He turned to Krista.

"I'm Ian Nottingham. Would I be correct in assuming you are Krista Cordero?" She nodded mutely. "Good. How has she fared thus far?"

Something about his eyes, about the way he looked at her, made her desperately want to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help her God.

"She's doing fine," she squeaked. She'd barely finished when he seemed to vanish, leaving her to stare at the spot where he'd been standing just moments ago. She turned to look over at Michelle, who smiled sweetly at her.

"Don't worry. He 'ppears and dis'ppears like that all the time. Mommy said it scares the shit out of her."

Krista stared at the five-year-old, horrified. What kind of child used language like that?

********


	2. Show and Tell

GOOD NEWS!!!!! I still have my baby (my laptop)!!!!! Yay!!!!! So, now I'll be able to post some of this stuff that's been sitting around, collecting dust on my hard drive!! Sorry for the long wait!!!!! Thanks for your incredible patience!!!!! (Are you happy now, Eli?) So, without further adieu, iiiiiiiiiiit's CHAPTER TWO!!!!!

THE DEMON CHRONICLES: CHILDREN AT PLAY

**Chapter 2**

It was shortly after her experience with Mr. Nottingham that she discovered that Michelle and Ella, with all their sweet looks, were demon children. She also gained the knowledge that to be on the PTA was to below Sara Pezzini-Nottingham, the chestnut-haired, green-eyed wife of Ian Nottingham. Had she and her husband not owned the school, she would have long ago been banned from the PTA for her aggression and the threatening and intimidation of both teachers and other parents. Also on the PTA were Lee Woo and Vicky Po-Bowman. The former was a sweet, lovely woman who always had a kind word to say. The latter had what could only be called a twisted sense of humor. Both she and Sara were often called away in the middle of meetings for work-related issues that no one dared question. Both Lee and Vicky were good friends of That Nottingham Woman, as she was now called, and so were elevated to Protected status, thereby escaping the wrath of That Nottingham Woman.

Krista massaged her temples lightly, trying to ward off the memories of last night's meeting, in which That Nottingham Woman's cell phone had begun to ring. She had answered, and a disgusted look had crossed her face. She had then announced that she and Vicky had to leave because a woman had been decapitated and left in a dumpster on the corner of Elm and 10th. Several women had turned green, but Lee Woo just smiled at them as they left.

Krista shuddered. Today, however, would hopefully prove to be better than last night. It was Show-and-Tell day.

After most of the children had shown off a variety of dolls, action figures, and My Little Pony toys, Michelle Nottingham was called to the front of the classroom.

She shook her head. "Let Ella go first."

Debating whether granting her request was a good thing or a bad thing, Krista nodded.

The little Po-Bowman girl came to the front of the class wearing her normal "lab coat jacket," as Krista had begun to think of it. She was carrying a doll and a small satchel that had a medical cross on the front. She carefully laid the doll out on the table at the front of the room and turned to face the class. "This is something my Mommy does, and I know how to do it, too, 'cause I watched her before." She turned back to the doll, whom Krista had identified as one of the old waterbaby-type dolls, and pulled what looked like a scalpel from the little bag beside her. She positioned the small knife above the doll's "heart" and sliced deeply into the rubber "skin". To the teacher's horror, blood-red liquid began to spill out, splashing onto the floor at the child's feet. Krista stared as the little girl draped a small white handkerchief she pulled from her bag over the "body". Ella then dumped the doll into the garbage can and wiped off her scalpel, placing it back in her bag. Krista's stomach roiled, and she struggled to keep her lunch from reappearing. Ella took her seat, gesturing that Michelle could now go up. Smiling and empty-handed, Michelle stood at the front of the classroom.

"Michelle, where's your—"

"Ella, can you bring them up, please?" Ella took two long, thin wrapped packages from Michelle's bag and came to the front of the classroom. They both unsheathed long, sharp-looking swords. "These are _katanas._ My Daddy taught us how to use them." They turned to face one another, each taking on a fighting stance. In a sudden flurry of motion, they were sword fighting, metal clashing and ringing as the swords sliced through the air. Krista flew from her seat, screaming for them to stop. They finished up with a few more moves, then turned to her. She carefully lifted the katanas from their hands, taking extra care not to touch the razor-sharp blades as she did so.

"Michelle, what are you doing bringing weapons to class?!" she asked shakily.

"Can I bring my mommy next time?"

Krista just stared at her, open-mouthed.

********

BelovedOne: Well? What do you think? You all have been bugging me for chapter 2, so finally I wrote it and put it up. I actually had it written down on paper, I just hadn't taken the time to type it up because I hadn't thought the second chapter was finished! Sorry! I will work on~

The Demon Chronicles: Chapter 3

Save The Last Dance: Chapter 10

Love's Interlude: Chapter 4

~but be patient, please!

Up Next: "Meet The Parents"

PS-I've just now realized that the AC adaptor cord on my laptop is 'malfunctioning' and won't charge my battery, which is at just 30%, so I'll do my best to keep updating—but the good news is, I backed up all of my stuff on a couple of disks, so I can still keep posting!


	3. Meet The Parents

THE DEMON CHRONICLES: CHILDREN AT PLAY Chapter 3 

Krista kept Michelle after school so that she could speak to her parents. It wasn't until _both_ parents walked in together that she realized she'd made a big mistake. They both had motorcycle helmets tucked under their left arms, and were dressed completely in black—she in leather pants, boots, and jacket, with a tight, midriff-baring tank top and a bandana tied over her hair; he wearing leather chaps and jacket over jeans and a tank top with boots. There was no question as to where Michelle got her fashion sense from. They simultaneously pulled off the expensive-looking black sunglasses they both wore, and green and hazel eyes focused on her.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Cordero?" Michelle's father asked.

Krista swallowed. "Uh, yes, she, uh, brought a weapon to school."

"Weapon?" Her mother asked, her gaze moving to her daughter for an instant.

"Yes. A…katani, I believe it was called."

"Katana," Mr. Nottingham corrected. His attention turned to the green-eyed child.

"I just wanted to show everybody what you taught me," the girl said.

He sighed. "What have your mother and I told you about your weapons?"

_Weapons?!_ Krista thought. _As in, more than one?!_

"Not to take them out of the house," she replied softly.

"That's right," he said. "Do we need to take your privileges?"

"No! Please don't! Mommy's gonna teach me some new moves! Remember, Mommy?"

The girl turned pleading eyes on her mother.

Sara winced. _Not that look!_ "Yes, I do, but you have to promise me you won't do this again, okay?"

"Okay!" She ran to the window. "Mommy, I wanna ride home with you. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

They turned to leave, and as they reached the door, Ian turned back for a moment.

"You don't need to report this, do you?" he asked.

Something in his voice and in his eyes made her feel that there was one safe, acceptable answer to his question. She shook her head, unable to find her voice. They left then, going outside and getting on the two matching motorcycles that sat beside the curb.

********

BelovedOne: So? How is it? Should I add more? And I know the short chapters are annoying…they just come out that way. Sorry.

Up Next: "A Hand?"


	4. A Hand?

THE DEMON CHRONICLES: CHILDREN AT PLAY 

**Chapter 4**

The next day was the first Art Day of the year. Every Wednesday, they would either start a new project or complete an old one. Today, they were given a free choice of coloring any picture they wanted.

Now, they were sharing what they'd drawn.

One girl had a lopsided pink and purple horse. At least, it looked like a horse.

Another had made a picture of her dog. Apparently, her dog was blue and green.

Michelle went up, paper in hand. "This is my picture," she said, holding it up. Krista gasped. It was an intricately detailed drawing…of a severed hand. "It's my grandfather's hand after Mommy cut it off with her special sword."

Horrified, Krista quickly ushered her back to her seat, placing the drawing in a desk drawer.

"All right," she said shakily. "Who next?"

Ella raised her hand, smiling brightly, and Krista caught sight of her picture.

It was a drawing of a dissected lung.

********

BelovedOne: REALLY short, I know. I think the next one'll be longer, but I can't promise you anything! Sooo…until next time!!

Up Next: "Unwanted Details"


	5. Unwanted Details

THE DEMON CHRONICLES: CHILDREN AT PLAY 

**Chapter 5**

That afternoon, she waited, once again, for someone to show up to pick up Michelle. Her mother walked into the classroom. The only change in her attire from the previous day was the medium-blue midriff-baring shirt she now wore beneath her customary black leather jacket.

"Mrs. Nottingham, your daughter drew _this_ today." Krista handed her the grotesque picture, careful to face it away from her, lest she lose her lunch at the sight of it. "She says it's her grandfather's _hand_."

Sara's green eyes flashed as she looked down at Michelle. Oddly enough, Michelle's gaze was fastened on her mother's right hand, which was bathed in a pale red light. Even as Krista opened her mouth to speak, Sara tugged at her jacket sleeve, effectively hiding the unusual sight from view. Michelle now looked up at her mother, an undistinguishable look in her eyes.

"It's happening again, isn't it, Mama?"

The woman sighed deeply. "Yes, baby. It is."

"Is it…?"

"It might be." She now had a twinkle in her eye, and she leaned down to her child's level. "Don't say anything to Daddy, okay? I want to tell him."

The little girl's face split into a grin. "Okay. But can I tell everybody else?"

Now Sara smiled softly, a sight Krista could not seem to match with the personality she had come to know. "Of course, sweetie. Who else would I have do it?"

Michelle squealed. "Oooohhh, I can't _wait_ to tell Ella!! Can we go home now?"

"Sure." She turned to the kindergarten teacher, who was looking on in curious fascination. What the hell was going on here? Had she missed something? "I'll talk to her about her imagination. It's very overactive." As she spoke, she began herding Michelle towards the door. "And we'll try to make sure she doesn't come to school with any more weapons." She smiled, and Krista swallowed.

They left.

Krista thought over what That Nottingham Woman had said.

"Wait! You'll _try_?!?!"

********

BelovedOne: Well, there it is. Can you guess what's going on? I'm betting you'll figure it out before I post the next chapter…feel free to include your guesses in your reviews! Oh—and the next one will be more than _twice_ as long, I promise!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!

Up Next: "Guess What, Daddy?"


	6. Guess What, Daddy?

AN: As you all may notice, I pay tribute in this chapter to the one who inspired this story. See if you can figure out where!

THE DEMON CHRONICLES: CHILDREN AT PLAY 

**Chapter 6**

Sara slowed as they neared the expansive grounds of their estate. Michelle's arms tightened a little around her waist as she drove up the slight incline of the driveway leading up to the house. They stopped just inside the large garage, and she allowed one of the personnel to carefully take the bike to its parking space. There were only a select few she trusted with this duty, and Ian knew it. He always made sure that one of them was working at all times. She smiled as she thought of her loving husband, taking her daughter's hand and going inside. They headed to the kitchen, requesting that Cook provide them with some milk and cookies. After thanking Cook, they sat down at the long bar together with a plate of double chocolate chip cookies—they'd been kept warm in the bread drawer of one of the three ovens—and two tall glasses of milk. They had scarcely gotten through their first cookies when the rest of her brood burst into the kitchen. Christian thrust out a hand for his own sweet treat, the four-year-old sitting down with three-year-old Elizabeth at the small table against the wall. Little Danny, two, clambered up onto his big sister's lap just as the intercom began to emit a toddler's cries. Sara left the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with one-year-old Emma in her arms.

"Hey, guys," Sara said. All of the children looked up at her. "How 'bout, since its Friday, we have a big sleepover? We can ask Uncle Danny and Aunt Lee if Eli can come over, and we'll see if Uncle Jake, Aunt Jessie, Uncle Gabe, and Aunt Vicky would be okay with their kids coming over."

"Yeah!" came the reply as her children's faces brightened.

And so Sara found herself dialling the McCartey's number ten minutes later as she bounced Emma on her left hip. After two rings, a woman's voice answered.

"Hey, Jess."

_"Oh, hey, Sara!"_ Jessica and Jake had met soon after she had moved to New York from California. Sara figured if they weren't a perfect match, no one was.

"Well, the kids and I were wondering if we might steal Madison and Brandon for a night or two. We're gonna invite Eli and the Bowmans, too." Madison, the elder of the McCartey kids, was Christian and Eli's age, and Brandon was two, like Danny.

_"That's fine. Should I bring them over, or—" _

"No, that's all right. I'll have them picked up, say, in an hour?"

_"Great! I'll go get their bags packed—have fun tonight, Pez!" _

"I'm sure I'll have a blast. Thanks Jess. Oh—and we'll return your 'property' in the same condition it arrives in," she joked.

She could imagine Jessica rolling her eyes on the other end of the line, and laughed.

"Bye, Jess."

_"Bye, Sara."_

She dialed the next number. "Hey, partner!"

_"Hey, Pez. What're you up to?" _

"Just planning a big party for the kids. D'you think Eli would like to come? I'll have him picked up."

_"Sure. I'll have Lee pack his bag."_

"What's the matter, too lazy to do it yourself?" she teased.

_"As I recall, you got Ian to do it for you last time,"_ he returned, chuckling.

"Touché. Of course, I had an excuse."

_"Yeah?" _

"Yeah. I was nine months pregnant with Emma. Ride'll be there in an hour."

_"All right. Bye, Pez."_

"Bye, Partner."

She punched in the last number. "Hey, Vick."

_"Pez, good to hear from you. Haven't seen you since Monday. What's up?" _

"Hopefully, my energy level. Sleepover tonight, and possibly tomorrow night, with all the kids. You and Gabe willing to get rid of the Twin Terrors?" By 'Twin Terrors,' she meant five-year-old Ella and three-year-old Rose. Despite their sweet-sounding names and delicate ages, computers and toys alike had to be hidden from the pair. Both were taking after their parents, having inherited Gabe's love for computers and Vicky's "medical examiner" attitude. They could hack into any computer, courtesy of their father, and both had snuck into the medical laboratory of the 11th Precinct more times than could be counted, and watched their mother working on corpses. The ugly sights didn't even phase them, nor did firewalls on home computers. Dolls and teddy bears had to be watched carefully, for the two would often take their own and slice them open to see their 'insides'. Of course, they were respectful of other children's toys—it was computers that were, to them, free game. And, of course, they were quickly teaching the Nottingham, Woo, and McCartey children how those wondrous machines could be exploited.

Vicky laughed. _"Any time."_

"Good. Pack 'em some overnight bags, their ride'll be there in an hour."

_"All right. Bye, Pez."_

"Bye, Vicky."

Ian?

Yes, love?

Where are you?

I'm on my way home from a meeting, why?

No reason. Just hurry, please.

A little over an hour and fifteen minutes later, the children arrived. First came the brown-haired, brown-eyed Terrible Twosome, Ella and Rose, then little Andrew, whose hair and eyes matched his sisters'. Following them were blue-eyed towheads Madison and Brandon. Last of all was little Eli, his black hair neatly combed and his brown eyes big with excitement. Ella thrust a piece of paper into Sara's hand, then ran off with the other kids to the giant playroom down the hall. As they played under her watchful eye, Sara unfolded the note and began to read.

Sara~ 

_Right after you called, I got a phone call from my doc…I'm pregnant! I haven't told Gabe yet, so keep this under wraps, will you? By the way, you've had a particular glow about you the past few weeks. Are you…? Let me know!_

_Love Ya,_

_~Vick_

Sara chuckled and shook her head. If only she knew.

She was startled as two hands touched her back, sliding around to her middle and squeezing gently in a loving embrace. Hi, honey.

"Hello, my love. Why were you so anxious for me to get home? You couldn't resist my charm and wit and intelligence and wisdom and my killer six-pack?"

She shoved him playfully with her shoulder, unwilling to leave his embrace just yet. "Why, _you_—" He cut her off as he brought his mouth down to meet hers for a quick-but-passionate kiss.

"Seriously—what was the hurry?"

"This." She took the hand he'd lain on her right arm, bringing it down to rest briefly on the Witchblade. It glowed brightly in response, and grew warm beneath their hands. Then, the echoing of a baby's first cry resounded throughout their minds. He pulled his hand free, and turned to her.

Looking into her eyes, he asked, "Are you…?"

"Yes." She stood on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips, her arms around his neck. "I'm pregnant. Again." With a whoop, he lifted her from the ground and spun her around. A moment later, as her feet touched the floor again, he bent his head and kissed her, fire burning in both their souls, lightning lancing between them. Their bodies fused together, so that no light could pierce where they were pressed against one another, as they continued this celebratory embrace.

It was interrupted abruptly, however, when two small hands tugged them apart forcefully. Michelle tipped her sweet face up to her father. "Guess what, Daddy?"

"What?"

She pulled him down to her level, whispering in his ear, "I'm gonna be a big sister again!"

Current ages of all of the children (so far!):

10~Una Woo

7~Joshua Woo

5~Michelle Pezzini-Nottingham & Ella Po-Bowman

4~Christian Pezzini-Nottingham & Madison McCartey & Eli Woo

3~Elizabeth Pezzini-Nottingham & Rose Po-Bowman

2~Danny Pezzini-Nottingham & Brandon McCartey

1~Emma Pezzini-Nottingham & Andrew Po-Bowman

ALSO: I need a name for the new Po-Bowman baby—suggest something, and I might use it!

I can't guarantee that the next chapter will come any time soon, as I've not finished it yet, so I am treating you to a short wait between the last chapter and this one (I only made you wait one day!) so I better get some good feedback, or I might not be tempted to continue! *grins*


	7. Girl or Boy?

THE DEMON CHRONICLES: CHILDREN AT PLAY 

**Chapter 7**

Sunday, two days after Sara's brilliant idea of having a sleepover that had been _anything_ but peaceful, when Lee, Jessica, and Vicky came to pick up their respective children, Sara told them her good news.

"Guys, I'm having another baby!"

They all congratulated her, and Vicky had to hide a grin. Finally, she said, "So am I!"

More congratulations went around. Sara held up a hand to quiet them a few minutes later.

"And, as you all know, I have my own way of finding out the sex, and…" She paused, drawing it out. She had long ago given in and told her close circle of friends about how the bracelet on her wrist was more than just a piece of decorative jewelry. That circle was limited to Danny (who had been suspicious from the start), Lee (who had been surprised, but, having known Sara for so long and being so accustomed to strange things happening when the green-eyed brunette was near, not completely shocked), Jake (who had been, and still was, totally clueless), Jessica (who had been rendered speechless), Gabe (who, obviously, already knew), Vicky (who also had had her suspicions), Captain Joe Siri (who'd merely stared at her, rubbed his chin, and waved her out of his office when she'd told him. Ever since, though, he'd eyed the thing carefully whenever she was near, as if expecting it to explode and come after him), his wife Marie (who, Sara could tell, still didn't quite believe her), and, of course, Sara, Ian, and their children. The other kids knew as well, having been told by both their parents and their Aunt Sara, and all were very good about not saying a word about it to others outside their "family".

"Well, come on, Sara, what is it? I wanna know if I have a niece or a nephew on the way!" Vicky was watching her anxiously, and Sara grinned.

"It's…a girl!"

"AAHHH!!!!!" Vicky screeched, throwing her arms around her friend enthusiastically.

Sara was quickly enveloped in a group hug, surrounded by her happy friends. Gabe, who'd come with his wife, came up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"What was that all about?" he asked as Vicky turned her head to kiss him lightly.

Sara still couldn't do anything but shake her head at the odd pair. Though Vicky was a few years older than Gabe, they'd hit it off immediately, and, a year later, POOF! Wedding bells.

Sara said, "I just announced that you'll have another niece soon."

He took a moment to process this news before swooping her up into a great bear hug, grinning like a madman. "Congratulations, Chief. Again. Geez, how many does that make?"

Sara punched his left bicep lightly just as Vicky elbowed him in the side. "OW!!! Spousal and friend abuse!" He ducked another swing from Sara and dodged his wife's other elbow before continuing, "Has Vick told you _our_ news yet?"

Sara feigned ignorance. "No, what've you got up your sleeve, Bowman?"

"We've got another one on the way, too. A boy."

Gabe was quickly herded away as the girls proceeded to congratulate Vicky in much the same way as they had Sara.

"That's great, you two," Lee piped up. "Wonderful."

"Hey," Jessica added. "You know what this means!"

"Name-storming," they all said together, their affectionate name for the baby name brainstorming sessions they held each time one of them was pregnant.

Their happy chattering was silenced in the next second as the Witchblade suddenly decided to activate all on its own—or, rather, with the help of a certain unborn baby girl. In full gauntlet mode, complete with the three-foot-long blade, the sight was more than a little terrifying.

"Ian!!" Sara called over the din of screaming children.

"What?" came his faint reply from somewhere near the stairs.

She raised her gauntleted arm. "A little help here?"

Within moments, he appeared.

From behind, his left hand slipped down and around the rest on her belly, while his right arm aligned with hers, both of their heads dropping forward as he clasped her hand through the armor. Slowly, the metal began to recede back into the bracelet on her wrist, the swirling red gem dimming considerably as it calmed at the soothing touch, returning to its dormant state.

Vicky rolled her eyes. "Well, if that ain't a sign of it being a girl, I don't know what is."

********

Are you happy now, Eli? Hope so. I'm rather stuck right now—my muses seem to have gone on an extended vacation, and appear to like wherever they are far more than they like assisting me. Temperamental things, aren't they? Hopefully, they'll return soon, and help me to continue my writing on my Witchblade (and other) stories. I'm inching painfully along on my further work of all of my stories here, so I can't guarantee that I'll be able to post anything anytime soon. Suggestions for a direction to head in from here might help…


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